Pasta maker with dual kneading blades

ABSTRACT

The apparatus of this invention includes a container for holding paste ingredients, a mixing and kneading assembly for preparing the food paste within the container, and an extrusion system for pressing the paste into a desired noodle shape. The mixing and kneading assembly comprises a plurality of mixing blades attached to a centrally located cylinder within the container. In a first embodiment, the assembly further includes a scraper blade and a kneading blade. The scraper blade is fixed at a constant distance from the bottom wall of the container such that paste is scraped from to the bottom wall as the scraper blade is spun. In a second embodiment, the assembly further includes a plurality of kneading blades without a scraper blade. In both embodiments, the kneading blades each have a leading and trail edge that remain substantially parallel to the bottom wall of the container. The mixing blades and kneading blades are reciprocated in a vertical direction and are biased by a biasing means toward the bottom wall of the container. A drive means rotates a spindle which in turn spins the mixing and kneading assembly. An extrusion screw is also driven by the drive means such that paste is forced through extrusion dies, thus creating the desired pasta noodle shape. An extrusion chamber is removable from an extrusion housing for easy cleaning.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application U.S. Ser.No. 08/182,000 entitled "Improved Pasta Maker", filed Jan. 14, 1994, nowU.S. Pat. No. 5,401,159.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an apparatus used for the preparation of foodpastes and in particular to a device for the mixing, kneading andextrusion of pasta paste.

BACKGROUND ART

In order to produce farinaceous pastes such as those used for varioustypes of pasta, intense mixing and kneading are necessary to createcorrect paste homogeneity. Because farinaceous paste is denser thanother paste such as used in breads or cakes, devices to mix and kneadfarinaceous paste were specifically designed to overcome obstaclesassociated with the need for intense mixing and kneading. For example,the high torque necessary to drive mixing shafts was overcome byutilizing larger motors, and the process of kneading was simplified byadding a kneading blade to the mixing shaft. Furthermore, the process ofextruding the paste into pasta noodles has been combined with the sameapparatus used for mixing and kneading. One common characteristic ofmachines capable of mixing, kneading and extruding is that such machineshave ordinarily been designed for use at the industrial level forproduction of large volumes of food pastes.

In recent years there has been an increased demand for smaller scaledevices having the ability to make farinaceous pastes within the home.Such devices must substantially depart from previous methods because itis well known that large and bulky industrial devices cannot be used inthe average domestic kitchen. It is one object of this invention toprovide a simple yet effective means for producing smaller volumes ofpasta or other food pastes within the constraints of a common domestickitchen. It is yet another object to provide an apparatus which cansimultaneously mix, knead, and extrude the food paste into the desiredpasta shape. It is another object to provide for an apparatus in whichmixing and kneading can occur at continually varying levels within acontainer having food paste.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,318 to Cavalli discloses a pasta making machineusable in the home. This invention employs the use of a plurality ofmixing blades, a scraper blade, and a kneading blade in which all saidblades are attached to a central shaft which rotates within a container.This invention makes use of a biasing means on the kneading blade tomaintain pressure on the food paste such that the paste is kneaded tothe correct homogeneity. The biasing means biases only the kneadingblade while the remaining elements remain in fixed relation to a bottomwall of the container. The kneading blade is designed such that thetrailing blade edge is positioned at a closer distance to the bottomwall of the container than that of the leading blade edge. Once thepaste is mixed and kneaded, it is transferred to an extrusion chamberwhereby an extrusion screw pushes the paste through a set of dies havingthe cross sectional shape of the desired pasta noodle.

While the prior art may be useful for its intended purpose, the art isabsent of any device for home use in which mixing and kneading can takeplace at variable levels within a container due to a vertical biasing ofboth mixing and kneading blades. Furthermore, the prior art is absent ofany device in which the kneading blade can achieve proper kneadingaction without having to mount the blade such that the trail and leadingedges of the blade are positioned at varying distances from the bottomwall of the mixing container.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention comprises an apparatus for preparingfood paste such as farinaceous paste wherein small volumes can beprepared for domestic use. The apparatus includes a container whichholds the food paste to be processed. The container includes a circularbottom wall, an open top side and a cylindrical side wall perpendicularto and integral with the bottom wall. Within the interior of thecontainer is a centrally located mixing and kneading assembly having amovable part and stationary part. Both parts are placed over a spindlewhich is rotated by a drive means having adequate torque to spin themixing and kneading assembly, thus overcoming the dense farinaceouspaste. The spindle defines a vertical axis which serves as a referenceline in describing the configuration of the apparatus elements.

Attached to the movable part of the mixing and kneading assembly in afirst embodiment is a plurality of mixing blades and a single kneadingblade which extend in a radial direction away from the vertical axis.Typically, the mixing blades are vertically and radially spaced along acylinder of the movable part. The mixing blades may be configured in anyspacial relationship to effect the needed mixing. The kneading blade hasa leading edge and a trail edge that are substantially parallel to thebottom surface of the container. Kneading is achieved by the uniqueconfiguration of the bottom side of the blade. Typically, the bottomside of the kneading blade is of a convex configuration such that as thekneading blade is spun, the convex portion acts to compress and pull thepaste thus achieving proper kneading action. The convexity of the bottomside may be altered in any geometric configuration to achieve thedesired kneading action. An increase in the convexity of the bottom sideof the blade results in more effective kneading action.

In a second embodiment, instead of a single kneading blade, a pair ofopposing kneading blades are used. In this second embodiment, bothblades have the same general shape as the single kneading bladeembodiment and are attached to the movable part as set forth above. Theadvantages of using two kneading blades are that increased kneadingaction is possible and balance of rotation is provided to help eliminateundesirable vibration.

In the first embodiment, attached to the fixed part of the mixing andkneading assembly is a scraper blade which extends in a radial directionaway from the vertical axis. The scraper blade has a trailing edge whichis positioned in close proximity with the bottom wall of the containersuch that paste is prevented from adhering to the bottom wall of thecontainer as the scraper blade is spun. In the second embodiment, thedual kneading blades, in addition to providing the proper kneadingaction, also perform the same function as the scraper blade in the firstembodiment which is to prevent paste from adhering to the bottom wall.

In both the first and second embodiments, mounted over the spindle andbetween the movable part and stationary part is a biasing means in whichthe entire movable part may be vertically displaced along the verticalaxis. The biasing means maintains a force on the movable part such thatthe movable part is urged toward the bottom wall. When an obstructionsuch as a lump of paste falls to the bottom wall of the container, thekneading blades makes contact with the obstruction, such that some pastewill fall below the bottom surface of the blade thus creating an upwardforce in the opposite direction of the biasing means. As the kneadingblades continues to spin, the lump will be compressed and pulled apart.If the upward force is greater than the downward force of the biasingmeans, the movable part will be pushed upward along the spindle. Asfarinaceous paste is mixed and kneaded, the movable part willcontinuously experience varying displacement along the spindle in thevertical direction depending upon the size and density of the paste lumpencountered. This cyclical up and down movement is advantageous tomixing because the blades continuously strike the paste at varyinglevels within the container. Accordingly, the paste is more efficientlymixed and stratification is minimized in the early stages of mixing incomparison to devices in which mixing takes place at a constant level.

While the movable part is displaceable along the vertical axis, thestationary part remains fixed in spacial relationship with the bottomwall of the container. In the first embodiment, this relationship isnecessary to ensure the scraper blade continuously removes any pasteadhering to the bottom wall of the container. In the second embodiment,the fixed spacial relationship is not as important because the dualaction of the kneading blades provides a more constant pulling andlifting force that prevents paste from adhering to the bottom wall.

While the up and down movement may be advantageous for mixing in mostapplications, it may be desired to mix at a constant level. Accordingly,this invention contemplates other embodiments which can eitheraccommodate mixing at a constant level wherein the movable part and thestationary part are held in fixed vertical relation to each other, or atvarying levels due to a biasing means.

Once adequate mixing and kneading has taken place, the paste istransferred to an extrusion chamber by opening a shutter slide integralwith the bottom wall of the container that causes the paste to be fed bygravity force into the chamber. The convex bottom side of the kneadingblades further assists transfer of the paste by pushing the paste downinto the extrusion chamber. A screw-type extrusion screw then forces thepaste in the chamber through extrusion dies having the desired crosssectional shape to form the desired pasta noodle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the presentinvention wherein a single kneading blade is used;

FIG. 2 is a partial horizontal cross sectional view of the embodiment inFIG. 1 taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal offset cross-sectional view of the drive meansused to rotate the extrusion screw and mixing and kneading assemblytaken along offset line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a disassembled mixing andkneading assembly of the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a movable mixing and kneadingassembly taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an immovable mixing and kneadingassembly taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, exploded, perspective view of the elements ofthe extrusion system;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the extrusion system shownin FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of adisassembled mixing and kneading assembly having a pair of opposingkneading blades; and

FIG. 10 is a front view of the second embodiment showing thecross-sectional shape of one kneading blade.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an improved pasta maker 10, according to the presentinvention. The pasta maker 10 includes a housing 12 and base 13 whichconstitute the outer surface of the pasta maker 10. A cylindrical shapedcontainer 15 is used to hold the pasta ingredients during the mixing andkneading process. The top portion of the container 15 is shownprotruding above the housing 12 with the remaining portion of thecontainer 15 hidden inside the housing 12. A top cover 14 is used tocover the top side of the container 15. The top cover 14 includes afirst opening 18 and second opening 19 that can be used as entry pointsfor the addition of pasta ingredients into the container 15. Theopenings 18 and 19 may include shutter type closure elements in order tocompletely seal the added ingredients from the environment.Conveniently, two cover removal assists 20 are provided to enhancegripping for removal or placement of the top cover 14. Threads on theinterior edge of the top cover 14 allow the top cover 14 to be securelyfastened to matching threads on the upper exterior of the container 15.An on-off switch 22 is provided on one side of the housing 12 enabling auser to operate the pasta maker.

Referring to FIG. 2, the container 15 includes a circular bottom wall16, an open top side and a cylindrical shaped side wall 17 perpendicularto and integral with the bottom wall 16.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8, the extrusion system 26 includes anextrusion chamber 27 that fits snugly into extrusion housing 33 throughextrusion port 31. The extrusion chamber 27 is slidably received inextrusion housing 33 so that it can be removed easily for cleaning. Theextrusion screw 34 is placed inside the chamber 27 wherein thehorizontal extrusion shaft 36 is keyed with extrusion coupling 99 ofFIG. 3. The extrusion disc 30 is held against the face of extrusion port31 by extrusion nut 28. The extrusion disc 30 has a plurality ofextrusion openings 32. The openings 32 are configured in the desiredcross sectional shape of the pasta to be extruded. The pasta exits thepasta maker 10 through the extrusion openings 32. The shutter slide 24is provided to selectively seal the container 15 from the extrusionchamber 27 or to provide entry from the container 15 through theextrusion hole 29 of FIG. 2 to the extrusion chamber 27.

Referring now to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 according to a first embodiment,inside the container 15 is found a mixing and kneading assembly 40. Theassembly 40 comprises two primary components, the movable part 48 andthe stationary part 54. The movable part 48 includes a first cylinder 50and a second cylinder 52 attached to the first cylinder 50 at its lowerend. The cylinders 50 and 52 are attached such that they are in axialalignment along a vertical axis A--A. A plurality of mixing blades 56are fixed to the first cylinder 50 wherein the blades 56 extendperpendicular to the first cylinder 50 and radially outward fromvertical axis A--A. The blades 56 may be canted at a desired horizontalangle to achieve proper mixing.

As shown in FIG. 4, the mixing blades are of a triangular type crosssectional shape with the distal end 57 of the blades 56 slightlyupturned. It will be understood that any number of mixing blades 56 andany spacial arrangements of such blades may be utilized to achievedesired mixing. Additionally, the cross sectional shape of the blades 56may be varied to achieve the desired mixing. A single kneading blade 60is attached to the second cylinder such that the blade 60 extendsperpendicular to second cylinder 52 and radially outward from axis A--A.The kneading blade 60 has axis B--B through leading edge 61 and trailingedge 62 in which axis B--B is substantially parallel with the bottomwall 16 of the container 15. The kneading blade 60 has a substantiallyflat top surface 63 and a convex bottom surface 64, as best shown inFIG. 2. The convexity of the bottom surface 64 may be configured toachieve the desired kneading action. The stationary part 54 includes ashaft 65 attached to base section 70 such that the shaft 65 and basesection 70 are aligned along axis A--A. A flat 72 and flat 74 are foundon the shaft 65 and base section 70, respectively and extend parallelwith axis A--A. A scraper blade 67 is attached to and extendsperpendicular to base 70 and radially outward from axis A--A. Thetrailing edge 68 of scraper blade 67 may be canted downwards such thatit comes in closer proximity than the leading edge 69 with the bottomwall 16 of the container 15.

As the mixing and kneading assembly 40 is spun in direction S, thescraper blade 67 removes pasta material which may have fallen andadhered to the bottom wall 16 of container 15. To assemble the assembly40, a spring 46 is placed over the shaft 65 so that the lower end ofspring 46 rests against stop 47 formed around the inside of cylinder 50,as shown. The movable part 48 is then placed over the stationary part 54such that the flats 72 and 74 are aligned with corresponding interiorflats found inside cylinders 50 and 52. A cutout 76 fits over scraperblade 67. At the top end of the shaft 65 are threads 66 that engage afixing nut 44. The fixing nut 44 secures the movable part 48 to thestationary part 54 whereby the spring 46 serves to cause the movablepart 48 freedom of movement in an up or down direction along axis A--A.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the drive means includes a drive Motor 82that turns main drive shaft 84. Main drive shaft 84 has a rigidlyattached drive gear 85 that drives as a first gear 86. First gear 86 isfixed to and supported by first support shaft 87. First gear 86 isstacked on top of and rigidly connected to second gear 88. Second gear88 in turn drives third gear 89. Third gear 89 is stacked on top of andrigidly connected to fourth gear 90. Fourth gear 90 is fixed to andsupported by second support shaft 91. Fourth gear 90 drives fifth gear92. Fifth gear 92 is fixed to secondary drive shaft 93. Secondary driveshaft 93 is journaled at the bottom in gear bushing 94 and at the top ingear bushing 94'. The middle section of shaft 93 has secondary drivegear 95 which engages spindle gear 96. The spindle 78 is rigidlyattached to spindle gear 96 such that rotation of gear 96 causes thespindle 78 to rotate. The upper end of shaft 93 has a rigidly attachedworm gear 97. Worm gear 97 contacts helical gear 98 that is fixed toextrusion coupling 99. The rotation of shaft 93 causes the worm gear 97to engage helical gear 98 and thus turn extrusion coupling 99. Thecoupling 99 is keyed and aligned with horizontal extrusion shaft 36causing the extrusion screw 34 to spin. The screw type configuration ofextrusion screw 34 causes paste in the extrusion chamber 27 to be forcedthrough the extruder openings 32.

Referring to FIG. 5, which illustrates the first embodiment, the mixingand kneading assembly 40 is placed over spindle 78 and secured to thespindle 78 by spindle nut 80. The spindle 78 defines axis A--A andprotrudes through the center of the bottom wall 16 of container 15. Thespindle 78 extends downward through the container 15 into the interiorof the pasta maker 10 and terminates at spindle bushing 79 located onthe interior side of base 13.

According to the first embodiment, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 illustratecross-sectional views of the mixing and kneading assembly 40. In FIG. 5,the assembly 40 utilizes spring 46 to bias the movable part 48. In someapplications, it may be desired to fix the movable part 48 to thestationary part 54. FIG. 6 shows the spring 46 replaced with a sleeve 49which causes movable part 48 to no longer be displaceable with respectto stationary part 54.

FIG. 9 illustrates a second embodiment of this invention wherein a pairof opposing kneading blades 60' are attached to the second cylinder 52.As in the first embodiment, the kneading blades have axis B--B throughleading edge 61 and trailing edge 62, as shown in FIG. 10, in which axisB--B is substantially parallel with the bottom wall 16 of the container15. Additionally, FIG. 10 of the second embodiment illustrates a convexbottom surface 64 that is off center such that the greatest convexityoccurs closer towards the trail edge 62. It will be understood that theconvex shape of the bottom surface 64 can be modified in any shape toeffect the desired kneading action. Additionally, it may be desirable toadd a third or fourth kneading blade wherein more vigorous andconcentrated kneading can occur.

This invention has been described in detail with reference to particularembodiments thereof, but it will be understood that various othermodifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of thisinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An improved pasta maker for preparing fresh pastaand other farinaceous pastes comprising:a container having a circularshaped bottom wall, a cylindrical shaped side wall perpendicular to andattached to said bottom wall, and an open top side, said side wall, opentop side and bottom wall being symmetrical about a vertical axis; aspindle protruding upwardly through said bottom wall defining saidvertical axis, said spindle having a top and bottom end; a pair ofopposed kneading blades attached adjacent to said bottom end of saidspindle, said blades positioned on opposing sides of said bottom end andextending radially away from said vertical axis, said kneading bladeseach having a leading edge and a trailing edge, which are substantiallyparallel to said bottom wall; at least one mixing blade attachedadjacent to said spindle above said kneading blade and extendingradially away from said vertical axis; and a drive means connected tosaid spindle for spinning said spindle.
 2. An apparatus, as claimed inclaim 1, wherein:said leading edge and said trailing edge of each ofsaid kneading blades are interconnected by a lower convex surface.
 3. Anapparatus, as claimed in claim 2, wherein:said leading edge and saidtrailing edge of each of said kneading blades are interconnected by anupper substantially flat surface.
 4. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1,wherein:said kneading blades and said at least one mixing blade aremounted for reciprocal movement along said spindle; and biasing means onsaid spindle mounted to bias said kneading blades and said at least onemixing blade toward said bottom wall.
 5. An apparatus as claimed inclaim 4, further including:a shaft fixedly mounted on said spindle forrotation therewith; said at least one mixing blade including a pluralityof mixing blades attached perpendicularly to said shaft and extendingradially away from said vertical axis; a cylindrical member mounted onsaid shaft for rotation therewith and for reciprocal movementtherealong, said kneading blades being attached perpendicularly to saidcylindrical member and extending radially away from said vertical axis;and said biasing means is mounted between said shaft and saidcylindrical member for biasing said cylindrical member toward saidbottom wall.
 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein:said biasingmeans includes a coil spring having a first and second end; saidcylindrical member has a rest engaging one end of said coil spring; saidshaft has a threaded upper end; and a securing nut threadably attachedto said threaded upper end of said shaft engaging said second end ofsaid coil spring.
 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, furthercomprising:an extrusion assembly having:an extrusion chamber for holdingfood paste transferred from said container, said chamber having an exitport for extrusion; an extrusion opening located on the bottom wall ofsaid container and integral with said extrusion chamber for transferringfood paste from said container to said extrusion chamber; an extrusiondie fixedly attached to the exit port of said extrusion chamber, saiddie having a plurality of extrusion holes formed in the cross sectionalshape of a desired noodle; an extrusion screw operatively attached tosaid drive means for pushing food paste through said extrusion dies toform a desired noodle shape; and a shutter slide operatively attached tosaid container and coverable over said extrusion opening for selectivelycontrolling transfer of food paste from said container to said extrusionchamber.
 8. An improved pasta maker for preparing fresh pasta and otherfarinaceous pastes comprising:a container having a circular shapedbottom wall, a cylindrical shaped side wall perpendicular to andattached to said bottom wall, and an open top side, said side wall, opentop side and bottom wall being symmetrical about a vertical axis; aspindle protruding upwardly through said bottom wall defining saidvertical axis, said spindle having a top end and a bottom end; a movablemixing and kneading part attached to said spindle and aligned along saidvertical axis, said movable mixing and kneading part comprising:a firstcylinder having a cylindrical shaped central opening; a second cylinderhaving a cylindrical shaped central opening, said second cylinder beingof larger diameter than said first cylinder wherein said second cylinderis rigidly attached to said first cylinder at an end of said firstcylinder and aligned along said vertical axis; a plurality of kneadingblades attached perpendicularly to said second cylinder and extendingradially away from said vertical axis, said kneading blades each havinga leading edge and trailing edge which are substantially parallel tosaid bottom wall, said kneading blades further having a convex bottomsurface connecting said trail and leading edge; and a plurality ofmixing blades attached perpendicularly to said first cylinder andextending radially away from said vertical axis; a stationary partrigidly attached to said spindle and aligned along said vertical axis,said stationary part movably attached to said movable mixing andkneading part, said stationary part remaining a constant distance fromthe bottom wall of said container; a biasing means positioned betweensaid movable mixing and kneading part and said stationary part such thatsaid movable part is displacable in a vertical up and down directionalong said spindle shaft, said stationary part remaining immovable inthe vertical direction; a fixing nut threadably attached to said top endof said spindle shaft for retaining said movable part and saidstationary part on said spindle shaft; and a drive means operativelyattached to said spindle shaft such that said spindle shaft is spuncausing said movable part and stationary part to spin.
 9. An improvedpasta maker for preparing fresh pasta and other farinaceous pastescomprising:a container having a circular shaped bottom wall, acylindrical shaped side wall perpendicular to and attached to saidbottom wall, and an open top side, said side wall, open top side andbottom wall being symmetrical about a vertical axis; a spindleprotruding upwardly through said bottom wall defining said verticalaxis, said spindle having a top end and a bottom end; a movable mixingand kneading part attached to said spindle and aligned along saidvertical axis; a plurality of kneading blades attached to said movablemixing and kneading part and extending radially away from said verticalaxis, each of said kneading blades having a leading edge and trailingedge which are substantially parallel to the bottom wall of saidcontainer, said kneading blades further having a convex bottom surfaceand flat top surface positioned between said leading and trail edge; astationary part rigidly attached to said spindle and aligned along saidvertical axis, said stationary part movably attached to said movablemixing and kneading part, said scraper part remaining a constantdistance from the bottom wall of said container; a biasing meanspositioned between said movable mixing and kneading part and saidstationary part such that said movable part is displacable in a verticalup and down direction along said spindle shaft, said stationary partremaining immovable in the vertical direction; a fixing nut threadablyattached to said top end of said spindle shaft for retaining saidmovable part and said stationary part on said spindle shaft; and a drivemeans operatively attached to said spindle shaft such that said spindleshaft is spun causing said movable part and stationary part to spin. 10.An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said movable mixing andkneading part further comprises:a first cylinder having a cylindricalshaped central opening; a second cylinder having a cylindrical shapedcentral opening, said second cylinder being of larger diameter than saidfirst cylinder wherein said second cylinder is rigidly attached to saidfirst cylinder at an end of said first cylinder and aligned along saidvertical axis; said plurality of kneading blades attachedperpendicularly to said second cylinder and extending radially away fromsaid vertical axis; and a plurality of mixing blades attachedperpendicularly to said first cylinder and extending radially away fromsaid vertical axis.
 11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein saidstationary part comprises:a base section having a top and bottom side; ashaft section connected to said base section wherein said shaft sectionand base section are aligned along said vertical axis; a first flatextending along the vertical length of said shaft section and parallelwith said vertical axis; a second flat alignable with said first flatand extending along the vertical length of said base section parallelwith said vertical axis; and a securing nut threadably attached to saidtop end of said shaft section wherein said movable part is slidable oversaid stationary part and secured by said securing nut.
 12. An apparatusas claimed in claim 9, further comprising:an extrusion assembly having:an extrusion chamber for holding food paste transferred from saidcontainer, said chamber having an exit port for extrusion; an extrusionopening located in said bottom wall of said container and integral withsaid extrusion chamber for transferring food paste from said containerto said extrusion chamber; an extrusion die fixedly attached to the exitport of said extrusion chamber, said die having a plurality of extrusionholes formed in the cross sectional shape of a desired noodle; anextrusion screw operatively attached to said drive means for pushingfood paste through said extrusion dies to form a desired noodle shape;and a shutter slide operatively attached to said container and coverableover said extrusion opening for selectively controlling transfer of foodpaste from said container to said extrusion chamber.
 13. An apparatus,as claimed in claim 12, wherein:said extrusion chamber is slidablyreceived in said extrusion assembly and is removable therefrom for easycleaning.